The government is yet to announce any changes to the rules on pavement parking
A survey suggests four out of five drivers are calling for the government to address the issue of pavement parking in England, though opinions differ on how this should be achieved. London and Scotland are currently the only regions in the UK where parking on pavements is prohibited.
In 2020, the Conservative government considered proposals to empower councils across the rest of England to ban pavement parking, but no policy alterations were made. The Labour government stated in July that it would reveal “the next steps” concerning this matter “as soon as possible”.
According to a survey commissioned by the RAC, which involved 1,709 UK drivers, 83% are in favour of new regulations regarding pavement parking.
Around 42% of participants support a complete ban in England, while 41% believe councils should have stronger powers to easily prohibit such parking on specific roads.
Only a small fraction, 13%, of those surveyed do not think parking on pavements should be outlawed.
Two-thirds (66%) of respondents reported seeing vehicles either partially or fully parked on pavements in their local area.
Of these, 44% often witness pedestrians being forced to walk into the road as a result, with the same percentage observing this happening occasionally.
Outside of London, English councils must consult on and implement separate Traffic Regulation Orders to ban pavement parking on specific streets, a process that can be both costly and time-consuming.
Rod Dennis, RAC’s senior policy officer, said that pavement parking is “a serious problem in some communities that needs tackling”.
He said: “No pavement user should be forced into walking or wheeling into the road because of someone parking inconsiderately.
“A clear majority of drivers agree and want to see an end to needless pavement parking that causes accessibility problems, but when it comes to the solution, the jury is out.
“Any future government policy therefore needs to strike the right balance between stamping out pavement parking that causes a danger to people walking or wheeling, and ensuring some of England’s streets don’t end up being inadvertently blocked by parked vehicles.”
Rachel Toms, connected neighbourhoods director at walking, wheeling and cycling charity Sustrans, said: “The obvious next step is for the government to legislate to give councils in England the same power to enforce pavement parking restrictions as those in Scotland and London.
“This issue is having a huge impact on some of the most vulnerable people in society and it’s time for action to address the problem.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Our priority is to make it as easy and as accessible as possible for everyone to get around, and we recognise the problems pavement parking can cause for people across the country.
“The government continues to review the issue of pavement parking nationwide and will update in due course.”
– The survey was carried out by research firm Online95 in June and July.
